PATNA: Crossing the Mahatma Gandhi Setu over the Ganga has become a nightmare again for the commuters from Patna as well as north Bihar as traffic on its eastern flank has been banned for its rehabilitation.
Senior police and administrative officials of Patna and Vaishali districts held a meeting on Wednesday to assess the situation. The DMs and SPs of the two neighbouring districts later issued directives to deploy adequate number of magistrates and police personnel at Dhanuki Mor, Pahari Par, the Gandhi Setu, Toll Plaza check post, Zero Mile and T-Point near Masaurhi Mor in Patna to regulate traffic on the bridge.
Patna DM Kumar Ravi along with SSP Upendra Sharma also visited the bridge to take stock of the situation. Vaishali DM Udita Singh and SP Maneesh attended the meeting held at Hajipur circuit house to sort out the problem.
Earlier, the nightmare continued throughout the day. “I reached the bridge from Rajendra Nagar Terminal at around 4am. Though a relative had suggested us to take the J P Setu route, we simply ignored it as we wanted to reach home at the earliest. But he was right as it took over four hours to reach Ramashish Chowk at Hajipur from Gaighat in Patna,” said Atul Kumar, a software engineer from Vaishali.
Atul's wife Rita Kumari, also an engineer, said, “I am fed up with the government machinery whose failure led to heavy traffic jam.”
T N Mishra, a retired government schoolteacher, also remained stuck in the long traffic snarl. “No traffic cop is visible. Attempts to contact senior police officers to pass on the message also proved futile,” Mishra, a chronic asthma patient, said.
The Chhath devotees were the worst sufferers. “Today is ‘nahay-khay’. It’s already 10am and I have not reached home. My family members are waiting for me,” rued Mamta Devi of Kudhani in Muzaffarpur district.
Paswan Chowk on Hajipur side seems to have turned into a bottleneck. “The cops assigned to regulate traffic are not properly trained. Either home guards or policemen on the verge of retirement are deployed on the bridge,” said Rabhivir Singh of Jandaha in Vaishali district.
Ambulances carrying patients were also seen stuck in the traffic congestion. However, some youths volunteered to help the ambulance drivers cross the bridge. Overtaking of vehicles also cause traffic jam. “Most of the people don’t follow traffic rules,” said Ganesh Kumar of Runnisaidpur in Sitamarhi district.
Vaishali SP Maneesh could not be contacted for his comments. However, a police officer posted near Ramashish Chowk said, “The situation will not improve till senior officials show interest in sorting out the perennial problem of traffic jams.”
The constable, however, blamed the heavy flow of vehicles during festival season for the long traffic jam.
Around one lakh vehicles cross the bridge every day.